Topline
Attorneys for MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell have released the search warrant that FBI investigators used to seize the Trump ally’s cell phone, showing agents took the CEO and high-profile election denier’s phone as part of an investigation into whether Lindell and others may have violated three federal statutes through an alleged election security breach in Colorado.
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell waits outside the West Wing of the White House on January 15, 2021 in … [+]
Key Facts
According to the search warrant, which was uploaded to the court docket in Lindell’s lawsuit against the FBI Wednesday after some of its contents were first reported by news outlets, Lindell is listed as one of seven subjects in the federal government’s investigation, along with Mesa County, Colorado, election clerk Tina Peters—who has already been indicted by state prosecutors—and other election workers and right-wing allies.
The investigation stems from an alleged breach of election equipment last year in Mesa County, Colorado, in which data from the county’s voting machines was allegedly copied and shared online as part of a broader effort on the far right to prove fraud in the 2020 presidential election, which there is no evidence to support.
Peters, who allegedly helped facilitate the breach, appeared onstage at an event hosted by Lindell to speak about the county’s election security after the breach occurred, and Lindell initially told reporters he spent $200,000 to fund her legal defense, though he later walked back those claims and told the New York Times he did not actually fund it.
The search warrant states FBI investigators seized Lindell’s phone to look for any evidence of violations of three federal statutes, which concern identity theft, intentional damage to a protected computer and conspiracy to commit identity theft or intentional computer damage.
Investigators were looking for information on Lindell’s phone related to the subjects of the investigation—particularly pro-Trump operative Conan Hayes, who the warrant suggests may be under investigation for identity theft—and information on computerized voting systems from Dominion Voting Systems, which manufactured the machines used in Mesa County.
The warrant does not state whether Lindell is himself a direct target of the investigation or if the FBI has evidence to suggest he violated federal law himself, and he has not faced any charges in the probe.
Chief Critic
Lindell has opposed the seizure of his cell phone, and he sued the FBI Wednesday in a bid to have it returned, alleging the FBI’s actions violated his constitutional rights. The MyPillow CEO has also remained defiant about his false claims of election fraud and has continued to push the allegations despite the mounting legal scrutiny against him.
Key Background
Lindell has been one of the most prominent voices on the far right pushing false allegations of fraud in the 2020 election, most notably claiming that machines “flipped” votes from former President Donald Trump to President Joe Biden. He has pushed the claims online, in interviews, in documentaries and at multiple “symposiums.” In addition to the FBI’s investigation into the alleged Colorado breach, Lindell is also facing two defamation lawsuits from Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic for claiming the companies’ voting machines were used to commit fraud, with Dominion alleging Lindell has peddled false allegations about the company because “the lie sells pillows.” While the exact scope of the FBI’s investigation is unknown, the alleged security breach in Colorado is one of several places where pro-Trump forensics experts allegedly breached election infrastructure or were given court permission to do so, along with as Coffee County, Georgia, and multiple counties in Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania. State prosecutors in Michigan and Georgia are now investigating those incidents.
Tangent
Peters was indicted by state prosecutors in March on 10 charges for the alleged Mesa County breach, including felony charges for attempting to influence a public servant, identity theft, criminal impersonation and conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation. Her deputy Belinda Knisley—also named as a subject of the FBI’s investigation—was indicted on six counts.
Further Reading
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell Sues FBI For Seizing His Phone At A Hardee’s Drive-Through (Forbes)
The Strange Tale of Tina Peters (New York Times)
Federal Investigation Into Colorado Clerk Reaches MyPillow’s Mike Lindell (New York Times)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2022/09/21/heres-why-the-fbi-is-investigating-mypillow-ceo-mike-lindell/